It is commonplace for supermarkets to cater quite well for mobility scooters and also wheelchairs, indoor shopping centres and stores that allow for a person with mobility needs to move between display units easily.

In many cases, it won’t so much be a matter of whether a mobility scooter is allowed into a particular building but whether the building can appropriately allow a mobility scooter user to move freely throughout the building and without any unnecessary risks.

Accessibility is something that more and more businesses try to cater for as much as they possibly can, also local councils take this into account when planning development and regeneration within local areas.

With modern buildings there is plenty of thought put into making a building accessible to those with mobility needs way before any actual development begins, whereas with older buildings (depending on the age of the building) they might not be so mobility friendly, and by mobility friendly I mean the original building design and layout, not the people who work within the building.

Where possible though, even in quite old buildings, adaptations are made to make a building more accessible.

So if you find yourself wondering if mobility scooters are allowed in a building it will depend on the particular building that you want to access, whether they have what is needed in place for your safe entry, exit and manoeuvres around the building or whether there might be a special type of flooring in place inside the building or parts of it that could become too easily damaged from a mobility scooter being used on it.

I wonder if those people are questioning if they can safely use a zimmer frame as support while climbing stairs but I think that this would be a bad idea and rather dangerous as although frames provide good support around the home and outdoors when it comes to a flight of stairs they are not ideal.

Where they can be used safely is when there are steps outside that have quite a large area to them before the next step, sometimes where there are only a few steps to go up, and where they are not steep and allow plenty of space to safely place your frame onto.

When it comes to stairs in the home then definitely don’t take chances with trying to use a zimmer frame to get yourself upstairs, it becomes too difficult regarding holding on to what you need to.

Always use the correct mobility aid for each task as each is specifically designed for its purpose and if chosen and used correctly will assist you and should never create more difficulties regarding your mobility.

Note:  Zimmer Frames are also known as Walking Frames, they are the same mobility aid and the name choice is dependent simply on what you prefer to call them.

Although they are registered with the DVLA and display a ‘nil duty’ tax disc they are not classed as a motor vehicle.

They should still be operated in a safe manner taking into account other road users for your own safety and the safety of others, but fortunately, as a class 3 mobility scooter user you are exempt from certain rules in place for other vehicles using the road.

Take note that the exemption is with regards to the tax disc cost and no registration plate needed, other road rules and laws apply and should be adhered to when taking a class 3 mobility scooter onto the road.

One can be that the brake is not releasing properly and this starts to put unnecessary strain on the motor because instead of it just working at moving the mobility scooter it’s now also trying to work against the resistance caused by the brake not being released properly.

This issue is not of you doing anything wrong but something that causes the brake to stick and because the brake is not disengaging the motor is put under more strain that it should be.

Another problem may be that the motor has gone bad and that nothing external of the motor is causing the overheating but just that the motor itself is well worn and needs a complete replacement.

If you are able to, do check that the issue is not down to the brake sticking, because if this is not at first ruled out as being the potential reason for the overheating, then you might pay to have a new motor fitted or even fit it yourself, only to find the same problem shortly afterwards and the new motor overheating just like the previous one.

Another way to find out if the issue could be with the brake is to see if the brake is getting voltage properly, if not then the problem may be within the controller circuit board and that needs to be looked at and possibly replaced.

1, The amount of user time that one might expect from their mobility scooter after having fully charged the battery for example, or;

2. The life that a mobility scooter battery may have before needing to be replaced with a brand new battery.

We will look at both here:

With regards to the first, when you take ownership of a mobility scooter, you should be able to find out quite quickly and easily how much use you can get from a fully charged battery.

If it isn’t stated in the documentation that comes with the make and model that you purchased, then the retailer where you bought it from should be able to advise you and then of course you can find out for sure by taking out your mobility scooter and using it for as long as it will allow you to before it needs to be fully charged again.

If you do try that, just make sure that you don’t go out alone and find yourself stranded with a battery that is unable to get you back home.

Now looking at the life expectancy from your mobility scooter battery, this can depend on a few things.

The way in which you choose to charge the battery can have an effect on how long it will serve you before needing to be replaced.

One of the first things to do is to read and strictly follow any battery charging and maintenance advice that is provided within the documentation.

Keeping the terminals and the battery itself clean, making sure its secure, that the connections are secure and that you follow any charging instructions properly, also using what is supplied and not trying to charge the battery too quickly or taking risks with anything regarding this can not only mean a longer life for your battery but also greatly minimizes any risk of injury to yourself.

You can read more about how to charge a mobility scooter battery and when you reach the stage of needing to replace it with a new one you can read about purchasing a new mobility scooter battery which should not need to happen too often if you take care of it.

Even when a mobility scooter is brand new, and of course its battery and everything else is brand new, there can sometimes be problems with it holding the charge properly from when you first start using the mobility scooter.

This may be no fault of your own and may be an issue with the battery itself, even though its new, or there can be a fault somewhere else on the scooter that may interfere with the battery being able to charge properly or to get the expected time of use from it.

Sometimes matters like this may be a little bit frustrating at first as you are probably doing everything as you should and may even take it back to the place that you bought it from a couple of times before they find out what the actual problem is.

The life expectancy of your mobility scooter battery and how far a distance you can travel before needing to fully recharge can both be estimated if you have a good healthy battery and everything else is in good working order and maintained well.

But as with most things in life, it is not always possible to figure out how long you may get from either as there are always the exceptions to both the manufacturers and retailers expectations and your own.

Find a huge range of suitable solar chargers on Amazon.

There are also plenty of companies out there who are not genuinely going green but they are trying to use the idea in order to promote what they offer and to exploit the situation, knowing that most customers won’t look deeply enough into things to find out if something is as really good for the environment as claimed.

Individuals can make more of a positive change than they realise and its often where some of the best change is occurring and when you combine this, of the many thousands of people around the world who use their initiative and make things happen then we have a good thing going on.

As mobility scooters are a popular aid within the UK and require charging quite often for regular users and need a charge ready for occasional users it’s worth looking into solar charging your mobility scooter battery.

They are waterproof, something that is important with our ever-changing British weather and they will still emit a charge even in cloudy weather.

No charge controller is required and they are really well suited to trickle charging and making sure that you always have your mobility scooter battery charged while at the same time being very kind to the environment.

An affordable and green solution to your mobility scooter battery charging needs.

Find a huge range of suitable solar chargers on Amazon.

Anti-Tippers usually are not cheap but it is because of the materials that they are made from and also the purpose that they serve, they need to be very strong, rigid and capable of doing what they are built for so often you can expect to pay around £150 for a pair.

Anti-Tippers not only give the user of a wheelchair reassurance but also carers, relatives and anyone around the wheelchair, knowing that it cant tip easily and allowing the user to relax properly in a position most suitable for them.

If the thought is to take one on the bus as a mobility scooter is usually seen, and not folded up, also to be able to ride the scooter straight onto the bus then I doubt that there would be many bus services that could accommodate this that are running as part of public transport services.

Although many newer buses on many routes in cities and towns throughout the UK can accommodate people much better now with wider entrances, more spacious areas at the front of buses, hydraulics to lower and raise the platforms for people to step onto and off of the bus easier and the ability to push a wheelchair easier on many buses, there are still a few problems in place that would make it difficult to ride a mobility scooter onto a bus.

Most mobility scooters are too wide to be able to manoeuvre onto and off of a bus without problems, the only way to take a mobility scooter onto a bus is with a folding one, and preferably one that folds without any or too many parts having to be removed first.

Also, the problem of being able to position the mobility scooter quickly and without problems on the bus would be difficult, unlike a wheelchair that can be turned and moved in a way that won’t cause any obstruction once securely position to one side near the front of a bus.

The power that a mobility scooter has could also make it difficult to steer on and off of a bus safely, and there’s also the fact that as many bus stops have shelters and some are more narrow than others, that even if the bus can accommodate a mobility scooter easily, that the task of trying to move through the bus stop may prove to be a challenge in itself.

While public transport lends itself much better now to people with mobility needs, there are still a few challenges faced that currently prevent some mobility aids from being used on some forms of public transport.

1. Question: Can I take a mobility scooter inside supermarkets? Answer: Generally yes, some supermarkets have their own too that can be used by shoppers.
2. Question: Can I take my mobility scooter into shops and stores? Answer: This will often depend on the size of the shop or store that you wish to enter and whether they have ramp access, wider aisles will make for a pleasant and easier experience for you.
3. Question: Can I take my mobility scooter inside hospitals? Answer: Yes, this shouldn’t be a problem, with regards to being allowed to and also having enough space to manoeuvre, you should generally be ok taking them inside hospitals.
4. Question: Can I take my mobility scooter on a bus? Answer: More often than not they are not allowed to be taken on a bus in the sense of you riding it onto the bus, this is understandably quite a disappointment for many users too, some buses will allow them on though, depending on size etc. It is worth contacting your local bus company to find out their policy on this.

There are always exceptions to the situations mentioned above if you know of public transport and specific stores that are especially accommodating or that don’t accommodate very well please share the information with others by commenting.

As there are various makes and models of mobility scooters available on the market, it means that various problems can arise with one model that you may not see in another.

There can be known issues with any particular model of a brand and this can lead to readily available information and answers regarding an issue, as others before you will have encountered the same thing, and if they too like working on their mobility scooter then they will often be able to advise you on how to repair it.

So to be able to repair a mobility scooter yourself (if you have not attempted it before) it can be a good idea to start looking through any documentation that came with the make and model that you have, also there are sometimes troubleshooting pdf files and pages either on some of the retailers websites or at the manufacturers websites.

These can be good places to start as sometimes they have direct answers on different parts of the mobility scooter that you own, for example if there seems to be an issue with a particular area of your mobility scooter, then it will often be mentioned so that you can see if this is what is currently happening with your mobility scooter and what may be the cause.

As well as the above, you can often find very useful answers by performing a search in any of the main search engines, the answers that are already available to many previously asked questions can save you having to hunt around and even if you cant find the answer to your problem there is usually a way to post a question of your own.

Although a mobility scooter has nowhere near the amount of parts to worry about that for example a car does, there are still enough parts included that means it may take a little bit of time for you to become comfortable with doing repairs yourself.

Dont be scared to give it a try but do take your time, the owners manual that you receive with the mobility scooter is worth reading anyway, even if someone isn’t planning to do any repairs themself, but for those that want to its a very good place to start.

When you’re getting advice from someone you know regarding repairs to yours, do make sure that they are aware of the make and model that you’re working on and dont accept the old “oh thats similar to mine, it will fit or it will work, dont worry” unless they are really sure.

Dont expect to know your mobility scooter inside out straight away, it will take practice and time to know how to repair yours and although you wont want too many problems with your mobility scooter, it unfortunately takes something to go wrong most of the time for you to learn how to fix it.

You need to approach each repair job individually, no matter how simple or complex it may be, its good to try and narrow down what is causing the problem, so that you dont go buying a few parts to find out later that you maybe didn’t need some of them.

Understanding what part is needing to be repaired or fully replaced can help you the next time that you’re doing repairs, because you will have a good understanding of what that part does, what happens when its not working, maybe even how to prevent it from wearing out or breaking so quickly and saving you from buying other parts that you probably dont need to replace.

How you can repair a mobility scooter yourself is be reading through all documentation that you can find on the make and model that you own, that includes the owners manual, information that may be available about it at a website that you bought it from (if you purchased online) , the manufacturers site or sites that host pdf manuals of various products.

And looking for questions already answered on Q&A sites, also having a good look around your mobility scooter, even if theres no problems with it yet, it does no harm to take a look at where various components are situated on your mobility scooter so that you know where to look in the future when you do need to do a bit of repair work.